(Panorama taken from the top of Mt. Tabor)

It has yet to cease in it's amazement the fury and pace of my time in Israel. I have had more thoughts and questions, insights and renewed conviction than ever before in my life. I think it's what draws this story line out. It seems to be more and more a part of my daily life.

Photos do tell a story. I guess that's why I love photography. Jesus told word pictures called parables... "The Kingdom of heaven is like..." a man who... a woman who... a mustard seed... a treasure... a net... king... a landowner... Jesus had a way of drawing the crowd into a physical thing to reveal a spiritual thing.

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What an image... Children? hmm.

In Israel, things are very physical. I know that sounds like a stupid statement and it probably is. However, growing up in a protestant/restorationist movement, I was always taught physical wasn't the point. We don't worship idols or anything physical because God is spirit and we only worship in spirit and truth. It was the scripture that said, "you believe because you've seen, blessed are those who believe but have never seen." So for me the physical Israel vs. the Spiritual Israel, started to clash in my system... and I had been in Israel less than 24 hours. Everything that I had read about, that I believed about I was seeing. My photos and my eyes began to capture glimpses of the kingdom of heaven.

After leaving Nazareth, Nir and I headed further north to Mt. Tabor.

Mt. Tabor sits at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 11 miles (17 km) west of the Sea of Galilee. Its elevation at the summit is 1,843 feet (575 m) high and believe me, it seems higher. It is used in Scripture as a symbol of majesty. Jeremiah 46:18 (NASB) “‘As I live,’ declares the King Whose name is the Lord of hosts, ‘Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains, Or like Carmel by the sea’” It is majestic.

As we made the climb, in our vehicle not with our legs, I was amazed at the view. It is no wonder early church fathers would have considered this to be a place of importance and claimed it for the majesty of Christ's Transfiguration. And that is what lies at the top of this mountain, the Basilica of the Transfiguration.





The date of the earliest churches on Mt. Tabor is unknown. The Anonymous Pilgrim of Piacenza saw three basilicas in 570. Willibald, 8th Century, mentions only one church dedicated to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. The current church was built in 1924 and belongs to the Franciscans.

There were a few pilgrims there... some were re-reading the accounts from their bibles Matthew chapter 17 or perhaps Mark 9, and I found myself having a hard time relating. My mind and my teaching was screaming, "THIS IS NOT THE PLACE!" "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

My spiritual instruction taught:
Mt. Tabor is probably not the location for the Transfiguration: 1) Jesus and his disciples are in the region of Caesarea Philippi just prior to the Transfiguration. 2) The general location of the mountain is not isolated. Much traffic passed by through the Jezreel Valley below. 3) A military fort was located on top of the mountain and was clearly in use during the Hasmonean period and the time of the Jewish Revolt, and likely would have been in Jesus' day as well. Lastly, we just don't know.

For a moment it felt like I was standing on a mental soapbox screaming, Christmas is not Jesus' birthday... We don't know when he was born." instead of embracing the memory of Peters words, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here."

As I stepped into the church, it seemed to be more simple than I would have thought.





The monk was eyeing Nir and I... I was scared that he might tell us to stop shooting pictures. However, he never said a word.

I noticed a room set off in the back of the church, almost hiding... I'm not sure what the room was for but it's contents were simple.



a small cross atop a table. What struck me was the simple physical presence of the cross, almost begging me to come and sit at the table.

As I left the room, I found a back pew with a bench for kneeling in prayer. (side note, why don't we have those in our churches today?) I knelt down and asked for forgiveness and grace.

Christ was 100% man, physical and 100% God. I cannot embrace only half of that message.

I'm still not sure if this is the place we read about in the bible... most likely it is not. However, it is holy ground. "For where two or three come together in my name," Jesus says, "there I am with them."

As we went down the mountain, I know Nir wondered my thoughts... He asked several times. It seems like I could never really express them because I was overwhelmed at so many points. I hope the times I spoke were clear enough. I remember a question he asked often, "Is this an important place to you?" His hospitality on a scale of 1-10 was 11+.

As we made our trek into Tiberius we arrived at the sea of Galilee for the night. I was low on laundry and needed to drop them by the cleaners. Nir's unfailing GPS "girlfriend" got so mad at us she stopped talking and led us into empty back ally ways. she kept telling us to turn right. "Yamina" I'm sure I've misspelled it. a few phone calls later, my laundry was in the proper hands.

We had a wonderful dinner and returned to the YMCA hostel for a good nights rest.

The sun came early, the weather was wonderful and a new day was about to begin.



peace.
johno~

A crazy two more weeks before I leave for Uganda and from there to Israel. I am keeping my eyes wide and my heart open. What will God put before me to see, witness and touch? What attacks from the "enemy" are coming my way?

God is most powerful and to be trusted... however, that doesn't mean it all works out the way "I" want.

In the last few weeks, I can see God saying, "Trust me."

Recently, there has been an Ebola virus outbreak in Bundibugyo... not to far from Fort Portal... and in Israel, tanks have pushed the boarders in the Gaza Strip.

Both situations, significant to an American on a short term mission trip... yet, everyday to those living beyond the boarders of a culture to self centered.

Still I find peace.

Peace that passes all understanding and a peace beyond all doubt.

Keeping up with Dr. Myhres blog, regarding the Ebola virus, I found one reflection that really touched me.

My mind keeps reaching back to some words of the Psalms which I can’t place, though a thousand have fallen at my side, yet I will trust.
We feel the falling of Jonah so acutely, we were both on the same front line of the same battle fighting side by side, yet he went down and we have not.
I know I can’t trust in anything other than God . . . Certainly not in not dying, which is not guaranteed, as Jonah shows. If we make it through this then what about the next tragedy? Safety is not the basis of trust. Instead our trust needs to be in God, inexplicable God, dangerous God, other-than-us God, who does not order this world according to our will, but knows more than we do and loves more deeply.

As viruses are contained and peace talks resume, I think of the next tragedy... and I trust.

I admire a faith that finds itself writing such powerful words as those above. Complete trust. It's where I want to be... It's where I am going.

peace.
johno~